


i still think that we were meant to be

by chanyeolanda



Series: i belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart [3]
Category: GOT7, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: (unfounded) suspicions of self harm, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-23 03:13:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9638492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanyeolanda/pseuds/chanyeolanda
Summary: In a world where you feel any pain your soulmate does, you can learn a lot about your soulmate before you meet them.Then again, Yugyeom learns, you might just be wrong.





	

**Author's Note:**

> title from elizaveta's meant.
> 
> As a note: I am not trans, and do not personally know any trans people. So I haven't dwelled much on that issue in this story on purpose. Besides, this isn't a story about transgenderness (shh it's totally a word), it's just a feature of Jungkook's. 
> 
> set in the same universe as 'i still dream that you were meant for me'.

At sixteen, Yugyeom is used to echo pain, as the transferral of pain between soulmates is known, having felt bruises where there weren't any (as a small example) for his entire life. His soulmate isn't pampered, this he knows for sure, with all the knocks he feels. Not that he can really complain, given that half of the knocks he feels are actually caused by him.

Still, when he's sitting in class and he feels a pricking on his thigh it's still his first instinct to absently brush where the prickling was. He doesn't pay it much thought, until it happens again. And again. And again. And again. It's apparent that it's an echo after twenty minutes of constant, regularly spaced pricking, and he's left frowning at his thigh as if it has personally offended him, gaping every now and then at the growing burn where the pricks were.

He thinks it's done when it stops after about half an hour, but it's barely twenty minutes before it starts up again, leaving him hissing when it catches him off guard.

'What the fuck are they doing?' he complains at break, scowling at Bambam's wide grin. 'You know what, fuck you, why do you enjoy me being in pain.'

'You look so confused and affronted, it's hysterical,' Bambam says cheerfully, with no remorse.

'What does it feel like?' Yerin asks from where she's using Jimin's legs as a pillow.

'Like a pixie's trying to stab me to death with a bee sting sword,' Yugyeom grumbles irritably.

When it happens again a few months later, Yugyeom messes up the dance routine he's working on, hissing and stumbling in the middle of a step, half reaching down to bat at his ankles, and Jaebum stops the music immediately.

'Are you okay?' he asks, concerned.

'Yeah, no, it's fine,' Yugyeom assures him, 'It's an echo, it's not acting up.'

Jaebum nods. 'I was going to tell you to be careful.'

'It just surprised me, is all,' Ygueyom says with a shrug. 'I'm good to continue.'

Fifteen minutes later her gives up, sitting down grumpily to rub his ankle- it's didn't help the pain, obviously, but it did help him deal with it.

'What are they doing?' Jaebum asks, flopping down next to him and passing him a bottle of water.

'I have no idea,' Yugyeom says honestly, 'Stabbing themselves repeatedly with a needle? Getting bitten by vampire ants?' He shrugs. 'Same thing happened a couple months back.'

There's a furrow on Jaebum's brow and he frowns. 'You don't think... they could be hurting themselves, do you?'

Yugyeom stills. 'Like... self-harm?' Jaebum nods and there's a moment where Yugyeom is doused with worry, then he gives a weak laugh. 'No, that's- I mean, it doesn't feel like cutting ot anything, so-' Jaebum's expression doesn't change, and Yugyeom's words fade into uncertainty. 'I hope not,' he mumbles, and really, what else can he do at this point?

The suggestion doesn't go away over the years, as the pricking comes back sporadically, and all Yugyeom is aware of is that it only ever appears in easy to hide places- which doesn't assuage his fears in the slightest.

It's the second day he's been legal and Yugyeom's woken up from where he's lying on Bambam's bed, alcohol still turning in his stomach, by a sharp pain travelling down his side, curving and slicing through his skin, and he has a few seconds of thinking he's dying, trying to get his arms to cooperate enough to scrabble at his shirt, lifting it up. There's a moment of relief at the sight of smooth, unmarred skin until he realises that means it's an echo, and it feels like the tip of a scalpel slicing through his skin and the worry returns like he's been hit by a truck.

He starts doubting the self-harm idea a little after he's been rolling around on Bambam's bed in pain for close on three hours, stopping and starting, Bambam long since having been woken up, and by hour four Yugyeom swears it can't be self-harm simply because who could bear to cut themselves for that long? But that doesn't really make his worry any less, not even when it stops soon after.

The fears are only dismissed a few months later, when Yugyeom's lying on Jimin's bed, complaining about his echo cramps.

'Stop whining,' Jimin tells him, curled up around a water bottle. 'My soulmate's also a girl, I- well, we- get these twice a month. Yours aren't even bad.'

'But it hurts,' Yugyeom whines.

'You don't even have to deal with the bleeding,' Jimin snipes.

Yugyeom opens his mouth, ready to rile Jimin up more, when her door opens after a brief knock and Yerin sticks her head in.

'How'd it go?' Jimin asks at Yerin's wide grin, and Yerin skips in, upper arm wrapped in clingfilm, the skin red around the fresh ink.

'I love it so much,' Yerin gushes as Jimin hops up to take a closer look, Yugyeom taking a little longer. 'By the way, I think your soulmate's getting tattoos,' she adds, looking at Yugyeom, and he blinks.

'What?'

'It felt exactly like how you described when the echo woke you up,' Yerin says, 'Like the scalpel? Must have been a big one for it to take four hours.'

'Oh,' Yugyeom says, relief flooding through him. 'But that's only happened once?'

Yerin nods. 'I mentioned it to the tattoo artist, and he said the other times- the pixie sword attacks? They might have been stick n poke tattoos. She might have been tattooing herself.'

'Tattoos,' Yugyeom repeats, and Yerin nods, and Yugyeom collapses on the bed in relief. 'Oh, thank god.'

There's still a niggling worry at the back of his head, and that's how Yugyeom finds himself lying on a sterilised bed in a tattoo parlour when he's meant to be heading to dance two weeks later.

It's nothing complicated- he hasn't put any thought into it, had walked in on a whim, and had decided on a simple X on his side, within the same area his soulmate may have (probably had) gotten tattooed.

He almost calls it off after the first line, but a few minutes later he's walking out the parlour, clingfilm taped over the X, thoroughly convinced that his soulmate had gotten tattooed, mind completely at ease.

Knowing what the pain is doesn't stop him from letting out a yell in the middle of a lecture when he feels it in his calf unexpectedly. He slaps his hand over his mouth as the entire hall turns to stare at him, removing it only when he's calmed down enough to talk.

'Echo,' he says weakly, and he doesn't need to say anything more for everyone to go back to what they were doing, class carrying on as normal.

Bambam's shaking with laughter next to him, head buried in his arms, sitting up as Yugyeom sinks down in his own chair.

'Well, that certainly woke everyone up,' Bambam mutters with a wide grin, and Yugyeom shoots him an unimpressed look.

'She's getting another tattoo,' he mutters in response, and Bambam snorts.

'Bro, I think your soulmate hates you,' Bambam tells him in amusement, and Yugyeom's almost inclined to agree.

This is the third tattoo in the year since he'd gotten his own, and he's felt piercing echoes shooting through his ears, and uncomfortable stretching in the lobes, and sometimes he feels like he's been hit with a small hammer. He has no idea what his soulmate gets up to, but he's already told his parents not to expect the girl next door. They weren't over the moon about it, but they realised he didn't have a choice, and now they could get a headstart on getting used to the idea.

About two weeks later, Yugyeom crumples while free dancing, sitting abruptly on the floor, his hands covering his crotch.

In a far cry from the first time, Jaebum laughs, although not as loudly as Bambam, and Jinyoung turns around in surprise.

'How?' he asks, nonplussed.

'Echo,' Jaebum tells him, grinning. 'Right?' The last part is directed at Yugyeom.

'Did she get kicked in the vagina by a very pointy shoe?' Yugyeom complains loudly, 'What the fuck!'

It's half an hour before Bambam can stop laughing.

'Oh yeah,' Bambam says the next day as they wander through the mall, 'How is the state of your groin area?'

Yugyeom shoots him a dirty look as Yerin raises her eyebrows. 

'Why are you so interested in his dick?' Jimin asks.

'Did I say dick?' Bambam demands. 'No, I didn't, I said groin area.'

'It was the victim of a echo yesterday,' Yugyeom explains with a sigh. 'And for your information, it's fine. Just a bit achy.' He considers it for a second. 'You know what it feels like, actually? You know when you get your ears pierced-' Yugyeom stops short, and he can feel the heat rising in his face even as the other three burst into laughter as they cotton on. 

'Scandalous,' Yerin teases with a faux gasp.

'He's not going to be able to look her in the eyes when he meets her,' Bambam gasps, hanging onto Jimin.

'I'm right here, you know,' Yugyeom says, a token protest.

'Oh, sorry, you're so red I mistook you for Clifford the Big Red Dog,' Bambam responds flippantly, and Yugyeom decides that pushing Bambam is completely acceptable.

'She's got to be running out of space,' Yugyeom says a year and a half later, after twelve more tattoos dotted what he feels like is everywhere on his soulmate's body, and a thirteenth one in progress- he's pretty sure it's the continuation of a sleeve from a month or so prior. He's gotten used to the feeling, even if it occasionally catches him off guard. It's still distracting when he has an essay to write, as he does now. 'And it's nine pm on a monday, what the fuck.'

'You still have tomorrow to write it,' Bambam yawns and Yugyeom groans.

'It's a five page essay,' he says, and Bambam snorts.

'It's your own fault for leaving it this late, he remarks, and Yugyeom almost wishes he was doing it by hand so he had a pen to throw at Bambam.

'I hate this subject,' Yugyeom says glumly. 'I should have switched majors. Or dropped out. Yeah.'

'How long do you think it'll be this time?' Bambam asks- they've started trying to guess the length of a tattoo session.

'Three hours?' Yugyeom says consideringly, and Bambam lists his head.

'You think it's a big one?'

Yugyeom nods, staring blankly at his laptop screen. 'I don't think it's a half-sleeve.'

Bambam's forehead creases as he looks at Yugyeom. 'What?' His face clears in realisation seconds later. 'Oh, right, last month or whatever. Hey, at least she'll be easy to recognise!'

'It's not like I know what the tattoos look like,' Yugyeom says, leaning back, giving up his essay as a bad job.

'Yeah, but you know where they are.'

'Yeah- everywhere,' Yugyeom replied.

Bambam shrugs. 'Still, not many people are that heavily tattooed.'

'I suppose,' Yugyeom sighs.

'So since your essay and an early night are out of the question, you wanna start that anime Youngjae gave us?' Bambam asks hopefully, and Yugyeom gives his laptop one last despairing look before he agrees.

'So who's this guy you've roped into playing with us?' Yugyeom asks before trying- and failing- to catch a jellybean in his mouth.

'Friend of a friend of Jackson's,' Bambam replies, 'Our age, ran into him and Namjoon- Jackson's friend- while we were out. And technically, I didn't rope him into it, Jackson volunteered him because he can't make it today.'

'Jackson volunteered him and this guy agreed?' Yugyeom asks, amused.

'He looked a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. His friend actually agreed for him,' Bambam says with a laugh. 

'It's not like it's really necessary, we're not trying to make up teams or anything,' Yugyeom remarks.

'Yeah, don't know if he's actually going to show up,' Bambam says flippantly, 'But he's a tattoo artist- maybe he knows your soulmate.'

'That is a long shot,' Yugyeom says, despite the pang of hope that had raced through him at the words. He's mostly used to it- even though he knows that tattoos are becoming more popular in his generation, easily accessible even though technically tattoo studios are legally required to ask for affidavits granting permission from soulmates; he's still spent the last three years feeling a rush of anticipation whenever tattoos were so much as mentioned.

'Yeah,' Bambam agrees, 'How cool would I look if he did know her, though?'

'Omnisciently so,' Yugyeom replies distractedly, trying again to catch a jellybean, staring dejectedly at it on the pavement for a moment after he misses.

'Oh, he's here already,' Bambam says as the approach the basketball courts, and Yugyeom looks over to see a guy, slight in build- or at least, looked slight in the oversized shirt he's wearing; who had to be the person Bambam was talking about- guaged ears, tattoos crawling all over his skin.

'Jungkook!' Bambam calls and the guy looks up from his phone sharply, eyes darting around before landing on Bambam and raising a hand in greeting.

'Hey, wasn't sure you'd pitch,' Bambam says as they approach and Jungkook snorts.

'I got threatened with abject humiliation and annoyance if I didn't. My hyungs think I need more friends my age,' Jungkook says dryly, glancing at Yugyeom.

'What, really? Do you not have any, or something?' Bambam asks, and Yugyeom winces, even if he knows the question only comes from a place of genuine curiosity and befuddlement.

Jungkook shrugs. 'I didn't go to university and I... didn't stay in contact with anyone from school, so...' He trails off, looking guarded, and Yugyeom starts thinking of ways to abruptly change the subject should Bambam put his foot in his mouth- luckily, it's not needed as Bambam waves it off.

'Well, you have two now.' He jerks his head towards Yugyeom. 'This is Yugyeom. We're expecting another friend, Jinyoung. You wanna be on a team with Yugyeom? It always makes the game more fun if he and Jinyoung-hyung are against each other.'

Jungkook lets out a surprised laugh and eyes Bambam in amusement. 'Yeah, sure,' he agrees easily,and Yugyeom gives him a wry smile as they make eye contact.

'Nice to meet you,' Yugyeom says and Jungkook nods.

'Same.'

Jungkook's fun to play with, Yugyeom finds, and he's laughing as he exchanged numbers with him after they've worn themselves out, Jinyoung pretending to strangle Bambam for making them lose.

'I see why you refuse to have him on your team,' Jungkook comments, glancing over at the commotion.

'Not if I'm playing against someone I want to beat,' Yugyeom remarks with a laugh, saving the contact and pocketing his phone.

'You up for one on one games?' Jungkook asks and Yugyeom shrugs.

'Why, you looking for a partner?'

'Maybe,' Jungkook laughs. 'It's a good way to unwind after work and the hyung I normally play with- when I can get him out of the house- is going to be otherwise occupied for the forseeable future.'

'He get a promotion or something?' Yugyeom asks.

'Nah,' Jungkook replies, 'Found his soulmate. Well, he found her a while ago, but only just figured out she was his soulmate. And she has a kid, so he's like gone full family man on us all.'

Yugyeom blinks in surprise. 'A kid? Pre-soulmate? That's rare.'

'He adores her,' Jungkook says, a note of caution in his voice and Yugyeom raises his hands.

'I'm not saying it's a bad thing! I'm just saying you don't see it often.'

Jungkook gives a slow considering nod, then a laugh. 'Very happy for him, but now I really can't bug him into playing with me.'

He doesn't hear from Jungkook until about two weeks later, his phone startling him when it goes off about the middle of the day.

[Jungkook] hey are you free to shoot some hoops this evening?  
[Yugyeom] what time were you thinking?  
[Jungkook] probs only gonna leave work at about 6 or so, so 7? 8?  
[Yugyeom] split the difference and aim for 7:30?  
[Yugyeom] bring ur wallet, we can get food after  
[Jungkook] omg food  
[Jungkook] yes  
[Jungkook] somewhere that serves ice cream  
[Yugyeom] !!! r u my soulmate lmao definitely ice cream

It's a bit past ten when they finally get to ice cream, the sweat from their game having cooled on their skin as they demolished their food.

It's comfortable, Yugyeom finds, even though he's only met Jungkook once and didn't think they'd have much to talk about.

Yugyeom winces as he feels an echo as he's trying to catch the ice cream melting from the cone.

'Stupid cramps,' Jungkook mutters under his breath a second later and Yugyeom glances over in surprise.

'Your soulmate also on her period?' he asks, and Jungkook startles.

'What?'

'Is your soulmate also cramping right now?' Yugyeom clarifies.

'Oh, no- well, probably, because I just- it's not their- I'm cramping- I have a uterus,' Jungkook says and Yugyeom blinks.

'Uh.' Not Yugyeom's most eloquent moment.

'I'm trans,' Jungkook tells him and Yugyeom nods.

'Oh. Okay yeah that makes sense with- with the cramps.'

'Yeah,' Jungkook says and there's a silence. 'Um, why did you- I mean, you said you're- your soulmate-'

'Yeah,' Yugyeom says, jumping on a thread to get the conversation going again. 'We must've cramped at the same... time...' Yugyeom trails off as he looks at Jungkook, suddenly very aware of all his tattoos. 'Uh... this may be a bit of a weird question, but... when did you get your first tattoo?' Yugyeom asks weakly.

Jungkook glances down at his arms. 'Well, I got my first professionally done one like the day after I- well, I guess we- came of age, but I'd been doing stick 'n poke tattoos on myself since-'

'Let me guess, sixteen?' Yugyeom cuts in, and Jungkook stares at him.

'Uh. Yeah, actually. How did you-?' Jungkook doesn't quite finish the question, brow furrowed in confusion.

'Did I ever tell you that my soulmate is heavily tattooed?' Yugyeom says.

'No? What does that-' Yugyeom can see the exact moment Jungkook gets it, his eyes going wide and his mouth dropping open a bit. 'Oh,' he says.

There's a solid minute of dead silence between the two of them, and then Jungkook reaches over and pinches Yugyeom's arm, hard.

'Ow!' Yugyeom yelps, jolting away. 'What the fuck was that for?'

'It's a simple enough check!' Jungkook exclaims 'If we were soulmate's, I would've felt it too! And, well, I did, so...' he adds.

'Why couldn't you have pinched yourself?' Yugyeom asks weakly.

'It really wouldn't have made a difference,' Jungkook points out.

'Well... yeah, I guess not,' Yugyeom admits, and they lapse into silence again, sneaking glances at each other.

Yugyeom can't help it when a thought crosses his mind a minute later, and his eyes drift involuntarily down, and he knows he's caught when he hears Jungkook sigh a little irritably.

'Please don't tell me you're going to ask about or comment on what's going on downstairs,' the longsuffering annoyance is clear in Jungkook's voice, 'because soulmate or not-'

'No, no, no,' Yugyeom hastens to assure him, his ears glowing pink and hot, 'That's not- that didn't even cross my mind- no, I was just- body modification more- well, I guess that's also body modification of a sort, if you- but that's not- I wasn't-'

'Oh,' Jungkook says, his cheeks turning pink. 'Right. That. I forgot you would have also... felt it get done.'

'Took me a day to figure it out,' Yugyeom admits, 'But... yeah. I'm sorry, I just remembered it and then- well, yeah.'

'Yeah, no, I get it,' Jungkook says.

'Sorry,' Yugyeom feels the need to say again.

'What happened to your knee?' Jungkook asks suddenly, and it takes Yugyeom a few moments to catch up.

'Oh, uh. Tore a ligament. Fucked with my dancing for a bit, but it's okay now. Still hurts sometimes, though.'

'Yeah, I know,' Jungkook says with a wry grin and Yugyeom laughs.

'I guess you do. What did you used to- I don't know, it felt like you were hit with a hammer sometimes? But like... I don't know, but it happened fairly often a year or so back and it hurt,' Yugyeom finished and Jungkook looks at him in bemusement for a bit before giving a bark of laughter.

'Oh, yeah, that. I worked at a paintball field while I was apprenticing. Getting shot was an unavoidable part of the job.'

'Sounds like fun,' Yugyeom remarks, and Jungkook nods.

'It was.'

They lapse into silence again, this one a little less awkward, and Yugyeom takes the opportunity to finish his rapidly melting ice cream.

'Do you mind me getting all the tattoos?' Jungkook asks after a bit. 'I kind of forgot until after my first one, and then- I mean, when you got one, I kind of took it as a go ahead. Is that- I mean, I have a few- is that okay?'

Yugyeom nods. 'Yeah, I don't mind. I mean, now that we've met, like- it's just a matter of when you get them, really? It's just kind of hard to write an exam with that kinda pain.'

Jungkook's eyes widen. 'Oh shit, did I get one during an exam of yours?'

'Started about halfway through,' Yugyeom admits, 'But don't worry about it, I passed, and I didn't know most of the answers anyway.'

'That's- sorry. Yeah, I'll check times with you now,' Jungkook says sheepishly.

'Thanks. But other than that, I really don't mind.' Yugyeom wants to make that very clear. Autonomy over one's body despite the soulmate bond is an issue not everyone agrees with, and Yugyeom wants to make it clear on which side of the argument he stands.'

Jungkook nods and stares at the table, seemingly lost in thought. 'I might get one tomorrow,' he says, looking at Yugyeom abruptly. 'Probably later in the afternoon, early evenin, depending on when there's no clients to take care of. If that's okay.'

'Tomorrow...? Yeah, that's fine,' Yugyeom says, and Jungkook flashes him a smile.

The next evening, he opens his mouth to say hi to Bambam and ends up emitting a pained sound as he feels the now familiar echo in his wrist.

'Is she getting another one?' Bambam asks, pushing past Yugyeom to get into the room.

'He,' Yugyeom says, and Bambam turn to look at him, the mild confusion of someone only half listening painted across his face.

'Hmm?'

'He,' Yugyeom repeats, 'It's Jungkook.'

'What's Jungkook?' Bambam asks slowly, his entire body wound with anticipation.

'My soulmate. Jungkook's my soulmate. He's trans, which is why I get cramps sometimes, but... yeah. Soulmate's actually a him.'

'And Jungkook,' Bambam repeats, and Yugyeom thinks he's strangely calm.

'Yes,' Yugyeom confirms cautiously, and the calm is broken.

'What the fuck!' Bambam shouts, 'You found your soulmate and you didn't tell me?'

'I just did!' Yugyeom exclaims, 'I didn't want to tell you over text!'

'Phones have a call function!'

'You know what I mean!'

'When?' Bambam demands.

'Last night.'

'And?'

Yugyeom blinks. '... And what?'

'What happened?' Bambam clarifies, 'What did you guys do, after you realised?'

'Um. Talked?' Yugyeom tries, and Bambam rolls his eyes.

'And after that?'

'Went... home?'

'Together?'

'No?'

Bambam looks exasperated. 'Did you kiss him?'

'What? No!' Yugyeom exclaims, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks. 'We've met like twice!'

'So?' Bambam says, 'You've made out with people you've only met once.'

'Yeah, but that's different, those happened with alcohol involved.'

'But he's your soulmate!' 

'All the more reason to get to know him first!'

'We're going drinking Friday and I'm inviting him,' Bambam declares, already tapping away on his phone. 'We'll make it a party.'

'Bambam,' Yugyeom whines uselessly but he can already hear his phone starting to go off, and he curses Bambam's quick fingers.

'You have well-wishers,' Bambam tells him, ignoring his minute long glaring, indicating his phone lighting up for the fifth time.

'I hate you,' Yugyeom tells him and Bambam flashes him a blinding grin.

He feels obliged to send Jungkook a quick 'sorry' before attending to his other texts.

[Jungkook] ???  
[Jungkook] wait is this about bambam messaging me  
[Jungkook] bc i already said yes to friday  
[Jungkook] and that was worrying  
[Jungkook] what did i just agree to  
[Yugyeom] i'm just preemptively apologising for bambam as a person  
[Jungkook] oh lol  
[Jungkook] in that case i'll preemptively apologise for the friends i'm bringing along

Friday comes and Yugyeom heads to the designated bar about half an hour before the arranged time so Bambam can't ambush him with a change of clothes and makeup implements.

Bambam shows up twenty minutes later, highly unimpressed as he slides onto the barstool next to Yugyeom.

'I look fine,' Yugyeom says after taking a swig of his beer.

'You could look more than fine,' Bambam replies belligerently, and Yugyeom rolls his eyes.

'I look fine,' he repeats and slides a bottle over for Bambam. 'I got you a beer.'

Bambam continues levelling an unamused look at Yugyeom as he reaches blindly for the beer and takes a swig. 'Thanks,' he says after a moments evidently deciding to get over it.

About five minutes later, Yugyeom almost spills his beer down his front when someone slams into the back of him, arm slung solidly over his shoulders, and he can hear Bambam sputtering under the person's other arm.

'Make a sound and I'll kill you,' the stranger- because Yugyeom does not recognise anything about this person- whispers, 'Now, you're to do exactly as I say.'

Yugyeom turns sharply when the guy lets go of him, exchanging a panicked glance with Bambam as they turn to look at the guy, now smiling a bright boxy grin at them.

'Hey. You Yugyeom?' he asks and Yugyeom stares. 'Oh, I was kidding about the no sound thing, you can talk. I'm Taehyung, Jungkook's friend.'

'Um. Hi,' Yugyeom says, a bit dumbfounded.

'Tae, you were just meant to startle them, not terrify them,' another guy says, coming up behind Taehyung, and flashes a grin at Yugyeom and Bambam. 'Hi, I'm Jimin.'

'Yugyeom,' Yugyeom says faintly, and indicates Bambam. 'Bambam.'

'Oh good, you got the right people,' Jimin says with a laugh.

Taehyung looks around the bar with a happy sigh. 'Ah, fond memories,' he says dreamily, and nudges Jimin. 'Right?'

'You punched me in the face,' Jimin replies and Bambam stifles a laugh.

'And you punched me in the gut, it was a beautiful meetcute,' Taehyugn replies, unphased. 'We're soulmates,' he explains to Yugyeom and Bambam. 'Met in this very bar when we were in university.'

'We got into a fight,' Jimin elaborates dryly.

'Only bar fight I've ever been in.' Taehyung is incessantly cheerful, Yugyeom thinks.

'It was over _anime_ ,' Jimin says exasperatedly, 'And he started it.'

They're easy to get along with, Yugyeom decides after he gets over the shock of the initial meeting. They're friendly and mingle well when Yugyeom's friends start arriving.

Jungkook arrives a little late, and Yugyeom's alerted of his arrival by Bambam's yell of 'Soulmate sighted!' at the same time as Taehyung yells out 'Kookie!' from the other side of the room.

Jungkook's flushed red by the time he makes his way over to Yugyeom fifteen minutes later having been waylaid by Yugyeom's friends as well as his own.

'Hey,' Yugyeom says as Jungkook raises a hand to hail the bartender.

'Hey,' Jungkook replies, 'I should have expected that, shouldn't I?'

Yugyeom laughs. 'Sorry.'

Jungkook shakes his head. 'I get it. Yoongi hasn't introduced his soulmate to us yet on account of Jimin, Taehyung and and I staring down Seokjin's soulmate for a solid twenty minutes when he introduced him to us for the first time. At least your friends weren't deliberately trying to unsettle me.'

Yugyeom laughs again. 'Taehyung threatened to kill me before he even introduced himself,' he says conversationally and Jungkook sighs.

'Of course he did.'

Jungkook orders a drink and they lapse into silence. Yugyeom's not sure how almost all of their ability to have a conversation with each other disappeared when they realised they were soulmates, but he hopes it's just a temporary problem.

'So what is it?' Yugyeom asks when Jungkook reaches out for his drink.

'... a beer?' Jungkook says slowly and Yugyeom laughs.

'No, I meant the tattoo you got the other day, on your wrist.'

'Oh!' Jungkook laughs. 'Yeah, that makes more sense.' He puts his drink down and shakes his sleeve back, holding his arm out so Yugyeom can see the stark definition of the new tattoo.

It looks like a quality control or warranty sticker one finds on electronic items, Yugyeom thinks as first, a large tick with its tailend protruding from the circle, and then he laughs when he sees the 'soulmate approved' printed within the circle.

'I've had a lot of people be like, oh, what about your soulmate, when they see my tattoos,' Jungkook explains, 'Think of your soulmate, you're not being fair to your soulmate. So I figured I'd just preempt any future attempts at guilt tripping, now that I know for sure you don't mind.'

'I hope you told them it wasn't any of their business,' Yugyeom says and Jungkook hums around his mouthful of beer.

'You know, I generally did,' he says airily, 'My gran didn't really appreciate it.'

Yugyeom can't help the burst of laughter that bubbles up out of him at that.

In retrospect, he should have known he's be called out for only spending about fifteen minutes with his soulmate at a kind of party celebrating them finding each other. He didn't mean for them to drift apart, but it happened, and maybe he hadn't been trying his hardest to drift back towards Jungkook.

'Come on, you've barely spent any time with him!' Jimin exclaims and Youngjae makes a noise of agreement into his drink.

'There's a lot of people-' Yugyeom tries, and is promptly interrupted by Jimin.

'It's been like three hours!'

'No, it hasn't,' Yugyeom mumbles petulantly.

'Two and a half hours minimum,' she rejoins.

'It's weird and awkward!' Yugyeom whines.

'But he's your soulmate,' Youngjae says. 

'That's why it's weird and awkward,' Yugyeom replies, 'We're _soulmates_ , and I know practically nothing about him!'

'And you never will if you don't try,' Jimin points out, and Yugyeom would like to think the numerous drinks in his system are the only reaosn he's pouting.

'I will,' he insists, 'Just... give me time. And maybe not so much company,' he adds as an afterthought.

Youngjae shrugs. 'They'll figure it out,' he tells Jimin. 'They're soulmates.'

'I don't know what to talk about,' Yugyeom admits.

'The same things you'd talk about with anyone else,' Jimin says.

'I keep forgetting everything I normally talk about when I talk to him,' Yugyeom says sullenly, and pretends not to notice Jimin pursing her lips to hide a smile.

'Will more alcohol help?' she asks sympathetically, 'Do you need another drink? Let's get you another drink.'

Yugyeom allows himself to be led away to the bar, hoping she'll pay. 

Yugyeom finds himself ensconsed in a small couch at the back corner of the bar, his head spinning a bit when Jungkook plops down next to him, cheeks a little flushed, beer in hand.

'Hey,' Yugyeom greets, and hold out the jam jar he's holding. 'You want some?'

'What's in it?' Jungkook asks, reaching for it regardless, and Yugyeom's brow furrows.

'Not sure, to be honest. Yerin handed it off to me, but knowing certain friends of mine it could be anything.'

Jungkook snorts and quirks an eyebrow. 'Sounds safe.'

'I'm pretty sure Yerin at least wouldn't actively participate in orchestrating my demise,' Yugyeom remarks flippantly.

Jungkook laughs and takes a sip, making a face. 'That's disgusting. And strong.'

Yugyeom shrugs and takes it back. 'I'm really only drinking it because I have it in hand. I'm at that point of the night.'

Jungkook shrugs. 'Hey, no judging. Someone once made the mistake of giving me a bottle of tequila, and I made the mistake of drinking it because I was thirsty.'

Yugyeom stares at him, aghast. 'Did you drink the whole bottle?'

'I don't remember,' Jungkook admits, 'I woke up the next morning on my brother's couch with a message from work telling me to come in after lunch.'

'You had to _work?_ '

'I was meant to work a full day, but I'd been dragged to the party by a colleague, and the manager was an understanding fellow.'

'I feel like I should have felt it the next day, and I'm trying to think if I ever felt that miserable,' Yugyeom says with a laugh and Jungkook joins the laughter.

'I don't really get headachey hangovers, so there wasn't much pain. I felt like I was dying, but more because of queasiness.'

Yugyeom nods, then grins at Jungkook. 'Want some tequila?'

'No,' Jungkook says instantly, before shaking his head with a laugh. 'I haven't really been able to drink it since then.'

Yugyeom laugh and settles back into his chair. 'I can imagine.'

They sit in companiable silence, watching Taehyung try to goad his new best buddy Mark into- something, Yugyeom isn't sure, but he's pretty sure it shouldn't be done.

'Are you okay with me?' Jungkook asks suddenly, and Yugyeom looks over.

'Huh?' he says intelligently.

'Like, with me, as a... soulmate.' Jungkook appears hesitant to say the word. 'I mean you were expecting a girl, and I'm... well, not a girl, and all the tattoos, and I know you said you don't mind, but we've barely spoken all night, and I'm not saying it's your fault because it's not, I've been... well, not avoiding you, really- well, maybe a little, but-' Jungkook's rambling, eyes fixed on the floor and fingers picking at his clothes.

'No,' Yugyeom interrupts. 'I mean, yes. I don't know what I'm responding to right now.' It elicits a small chuckle from Jungkook, who is now looking at Yugyeom. 'Whatever means I don't have a problem- I'm completely okay with you.' Yugyeom shrugs. 'Like, I was expecting a girl, but just because of some random pain? The fact that you're not a girl is just... whatever, you know? It's just weird. Not that you're a guy,' Yugyeom adds hurriedly at the look on Jungkook's face. 'Just the whole soulmate thing. That we're soulmates.'

Yugyeom gulps down some of his drink as Jungkook looks vaguely confused.

'What's weird about us being soulmates?' Jungkook asks and Yugyeom shakes his head.

'Not _us_ being soulmates, but us being _soulmates_. It's like... I barely know you, right? I'm sure we'll get to know each other, but right now it's... I mean, you don't normally go into relationship of any sort like knowing from the get-go it's like a forever thing, you know?' Jungkook's nodding as Yugyeom finishes.

'I get what you mean,' he says, 'Like, we got along before we knew we were soulmates, and we get along now, but now it's like... there's this pressure on us to like each other. Taehyung had no problem, because he makes friend with literally everyone anyway, so there was no chance for Jimin to feel awkward, but...'

'I get shy!' Yugyeom adds and Jungkook nods emphatically.

'Same!'

There's a moment, and they dissolve into giggles.

'I'm glad Bambam put this together,' Yugyeom admits, 'I enjoy actually talking to you.'

Jungkook laughs a little. 'The wonders of intoxication,' he jokes.

Yugyeom nods. 'I'm pretty sure he wanted the alcohol to lead us to hooking up, not just talking, though.'

Jungkook's sputtering into his drink and Yugyeom would flush if his face weren't already red as he realises what he said.

'Talking's fine, though,' Yugyeom says hurriedly, 'Talking's great. Perfect, even. Didn't want anything else, anyway. Not that I wouldn't hook up with you,' he hastens to add, 'You're very pretty. Handsome. Hot? You have a nice face. But talking's also good- I mean-' And with that, Yugyeom decides to stop talking, possibly forever.

'You have a nice face too,' Jungkook says after he's cleared his airways.

'Thanks,' Yugyeom mutters, and both of them busy themselves with their drinks a little awkwardly.

'I just think that taking things one at a time might be a good idea,' Yugyeom says after a few moments and he sees Jungkook nod in the periphery of his vision.

'Yeah. Definitely. Good idea, going slow.'

'Get to know each other.'

'We should get dinner next Friday,' Jungkook says, and Yugyeom looks over at him before he adds: 'Not a date or anything like that. Just some food. Maybe a couple drinks.'

'Get to know each other without a horde of hangers on,' Yugyeom says, amusement colouring his words, and Jungkook flashes him a smile. 'Yeah. I'd like that.'

The following Friday finds Yugyeom with samgyeopsal in his belly, soju in his blood, and Jungkook's tongue in his mouth.

They'd had a great dinner, conversation and soju flowing and Yugyeom doesn't quite know who made the first move, but what he'd expected to be a tentative hug goodbye at the junction where they had to go their separate ways had instead become a rather involved make out session.

Not that he's complaining at all.

'So much for going slow,' Yugyeom says when they eventually break apart, the laughter evident in his voice echoed in full by Jungkook.

'Yeah,' Jungkook says, a little breathlessly. 'I think this is a good level for now, though.'

Yugyeom nods and leans forward to kiss Jungkook again, just because he can.

'We should do this again,' he says once he's pulled away. 'But, like, as an actual date this time.'

Jungkook laughs boisterously, and nods, grinning at Yugyeom. 'An actual date. Yeah. I'd like that.'

**Author's Note:**

> i know i completely ignored your advice nande i'm sorry i'm lazy i love you thank you for reading over it anyway


End file.
